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Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers is the first in MLB history with 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season
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Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers is the first in MLB history with 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season

Shohei Ohtani’s first season in the Los Angeles Dodgers jersey is unforgettable because he made MLB history by becoming the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.

Ohtani entered Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins with the intention of playing 10 more games to reach that never-before-achieved milestone, but he decided to put it all behind him by stealing bases 50 and 51.

Then Ohtani hit his 49th and 50th home runs in the same game, breaking Shawn Green’s 2001 single-season record for most home runs by a Dodger in a single season.

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Shohei Ohtani hits home run

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a two-run home run against the Miami Marlins in the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. (Sam Navarro-Images)

And Ohtani’s outstanding day at the plate wasn’t over yet, as he hit another home run early in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 20-4 assault on the Marlins in that game, his 51st of the season.

Ohtani finished his day batting a perfect 6-for-6 with 10 RBI, five extra-base hits and four runs scored, an unprecedented feat for the man who will likely win the National League MVP title this year.

Ohtani needed just one stolen base to reach the half-century mark early in the game, and he wasted no time getting on base early in the first inning. Standing on second base, he made a good leap to third, but it seemed as though the throw had beaten him to it.

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However, the player was not on the ground and signaled to the referee that he was safe, whereupon the referee made the appropriate decision.

Now Ohtani needed just two more home runs to reach 50 and enter the 50-50 club in MLB history. But first, he decided to hit his 51st home run of the season in the second inning after reaching base on an RBI single. He made it to second base without throwing.

Then, in his fourth at-bat of the game, Ohtani showed off his muscle instead of his speed after already hitting 3-for-3 with two doubles and 3 RBIs.

Shohei Ohtani stands on the base

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on after stealing second base in the second inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. (Sam Navarro-Images)

With a runner on second base, Ohtani hit an 85 mph slider to right field and he knew he had the ball in when he sent the ball flying out of loanDepot Park, making it 9-3 Dodgers.

Then something historic happened at the top of the seventh inning when, with the score tied 1-2, Ohtani executed a perfect inside-out swing on a pitch way downfield and sent the ball into the left field seats, his 50th home run of the 2024 season.

Ohtani let out a loud roar as he reached first base, and even though it was an away game, the crowd knew they were witnessing a historic event as they roared as Ohtani rounded the bases.

Ohtani was called for final applause outside the Dodgers dugout and obliged, saluting the fans and clapping his teammates and coaches for reaching a milestone they never thought possible.

And to add to the “greatest day in baseball history,” as commentator Joe Davis perfectly put it on the Dodgers broadcast, Ohtani hit a three-run bomb in the ninth inning against position player Vidal Bruján that reached the highest deck in right field.

Ohtani’s day might have been even better if he had been able to hit a triple in an earlier at-bat, but he was thrown out at third base while trying. If he had gotten in safely, he would have reached the cycle and continued his league history.

Shohei Ohtani hits home run

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) circles the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Miami Marlins in the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. (Sam Navarro-Images)

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Ohtani may not be pitching for the Dodgers this season, but his first season was one that will go down in the record books.

And to top it all off, the Dodgers secured a playoff spot with the win, allowing Ohtani to compete in the postseason for the first time in his career.

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